1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a granular or powdery detergent composition containing a non-ionic surface active agent. More particularly, the invention relates to a granular or powdery detergent composition comprising a non-ionic surface active agent adsorbed on a water-insoluble adsorption member. More specifically, the present invention relates to a granular or powdery detergent composition having a good flowability, which comprises an amorphous, phosphorus-containing alkali metal aluminosilicate on which a non-ionic surface active agent is adsorbed. By the term "good flow-ability" used herein is meant such a property that the granular or powdery detergent composition keeps a dry non-sticky state for a long time and cohesion or caking is not caused.
2. DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ARTS
Most non-ionic surface active agents suitable for detergents are in the form of liquids or viscous solids at normal temperatures, and they can hardly be incorporated in granular or powdery detergent compositions as they are. As the method for incorporation of such non-ionic surface active agent in a detergent, there can be mentioned (1) a method in which a non-ionic surface agent is incorporated in a slurry of a detergent and the mixture is spray-dried, (2) a method in which a non-ionic surface active agent is adsorbed on a specific substance and the adsorption mixture is incorporated into a powdery detergent, and (3) a method in which a detergent base free of a non-ionic surface active agent is formed by spray drying and a non-ionic surface active agent is sprayed onto the detergent base to cause it to adhere to the detergent base.
According to the spray-drying method (1), however, a part of the non-ionic surface active agent is lost by contact with hot air in the drying column and is discharged with the exhaust gas, and therefore, generation of a bad smell or environmental pollution is caused. According to the spray-adhering method (3), the surface active agent can be included only in a small amount such as several percent. Therefore, at the present, there is mainly adopted a method in which a liquid or viscous solid non-ionic surface active agent is adsorbed on a specific substance to form a powdery detergent composition having a good flowability. As this specific substance (adsorbent), there are known finely divided inorganic substances such as talc, finely divided silica, clay and calcium silicate. However, these inorganic substance powders have, in general, no particular property other than the property of adsorbing a non-ionic surface active agent and providing a powder having a good flowability, and they have no positive effect of improving the washing capacity. Further, such inorganic powder should be incorporated in a large quantity in order for the non-ionic surface active agent to exert a sufficient washing power, and therefore, such inorganic powder fails to satisfy industrial requirements sufficiently. It has been attempted to adsorb a non-ionic surface active agent on builders customarily incorporated into powdery detergents, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium perborate, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate and the like. Also in this case, if the amount of the non-ionic surface active agent exceeds 10% by weight, cohesion or caking is readily caused and a composition having a sufficient flowability cannot be obtained. Recently, there has been proposed a process (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specification No. 119813/75) in which a non-ionic surface active agent is adsorbed on a alkali metal or alkaline earth metal aluminosilicate recently proposed as a water-insoluble builder (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specifications Nos. 12381/75, 21009/75, 53404/75 and 37104/75 and West Germany Patent Application Laid-Open Specification No. 2,538,679), and the mixture is then granulated and incorporated in a detergent. As a result of our researches, it has been found that even if non-ionic surface active agents are adsorbed on these aluminosilicates, it is difficult to obtain powders having a good flowability. Under such background, it has been eagerly desired to develop a non-ionic surface active agent adsobent which is capable of adsorbing a non-ionic surface active agent at a high concentration and keeping a good flowability, and having a washing effect at the same time.